Rear entering, rear fastening, improved athletic shoe

ABSTRACT

An improved running shoe in which the laces, rather than lacing over the tongue of the shoe, are laced and tied in the rear, over the heel structured and arranged to thereby provide a snug-fit upon a wearer&#39;s foot.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is related to and claims priority from prior provisional application Ser. No. 62/470,129, filed Mar. 10, 2017 which application is incorporated herein by reference.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of footwear devices and more specifically relates to an improved running shoe in which the laces, rather than lacing over the tongue of the shoe, are laced and tied in the rear, over the heel structured and arranged to thereby provide a snug-fit upon a wearer's foot.

2. Description of the Related Art

Sneakers are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also often used for everyday wear. The term generally describes a type of footwear with a flexible sole made of rubber or synthetic material and an upper part made of leather or synthetic materials. Examples of such shoes include athletic footwear such as: basketball shoes, tennis shoes, cross trainers and other shoes worn for specific sports

Although the sneaker is a relatively modern invention, its roots go deeper than we might imagine—deeper, in fact, than many of the sports in which sneakers are worn. Before the late 19th century, every individual shoe was produced by hand. But by the late 1800s, with newly invented materials like vulcanized rubber and new production methods like assembly lines, shoes could be manufactured cheaply and in large quantities—and because shoes were inexpensive, the growing population of workers could afford them. And while the early 20th century witnessed the birth of many of today's familiar sneaker brands including Keds, Converse, and Adidas, sneakers mostly remained the footwear of competing athletes—until Hollywood picked up on the fashion: first in the 1930's and then again in the 1950's when teen icon James Dean was photographed wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers. From then on, these cheap, durable shoes became part of the official uniform of kids around the world.

In 1985, basketball legend Michael Jordan joined with Nike to release the Air Jordan®, a sophisticated and expensive basketball shoe—and the modern era of sneakers had begun. Today's sneakers are high-tech, high-dollar shoes designed for almost any activity you can name, from running to basketball to tennis to walking—and the shoes are so highly valued by youth that more than a few have lost their lives over a pair of sneakers. Recent innovations in sneakers have included skate-wheels embedded in the soles, pneumatic bladders that can be pumped up to increase shock-absorption—and price tags that used to be associated with handmade Italian mountain boots. The market for athletic footwear, as we will note later in this report, is staggeringly large; and in such a market, there is always room for innovation and creativity—the next big design in a vibrant, dynamic market where creating a trend can mean a huge financial return.

Various attempts have been made to solve problems found in footwear device art. Among these are found in: U.S. Publication No. 20120079746 to Chris Ferreira, Kenji Nakayama, Pamela Bogert Stauffer; U.S. Pat. No. 2,883,771 to Enrique Sanchez; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,16 to Clyde Bannister Brown. This prior art is representative of footwear that open at the back.

Ideally, an improved running shoe should be user-friendly and safe in-use and, yet should operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for an improved running shoe in which the laces, rather than lacing over the tongue of the shoe, are laced and tied in the rear, over the heel structured and arranged to thereby provide a snug-fit upon a wearer's foot and to avoid the above-mentioned problems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known footwear device art, the present invention provides an improved running shoe (Entitled Rear Entering, Rear Fastening, Improved Athletic Shoe). The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail is to provide an improved running shoe in which the laces, rather than lacing over the tongue of the shoe, are laced and tied in the rear, over the heel structured and arranged to thereby provide a snug-fit upon a wearer's foot.

An improved running shoe comprising: an upper portion; an outsole; an insole; a midsole; a toe cap; and a heel portion including edge portions defining a vertically extending opening. Wherein the upper portion is formed from a contiguous, one-piece member. Wherein the midsole is located in between the outsole and the insole and is connected to the upper portion. Wherein the toe cap is attached to an edge of the upper portion and a distal end of the outsole. Wherein the edge portions are adapted to retain an adjustable connector member therebetween. Wherein the heel portion is attached to a proximal end of the outsole. Wherein the improved running shoe is adapted to allow a wearer to place their foot inside the improved running shoe and adjust the width thereof via the adjustable connector member, to thereby provide a snug-fit upon the wearer's foot.

The present invention holds significant improvements and serves as an improved running shoe. For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method(s) of use for the present invention, an Improved Running Shoe, (Entitled Rear Entering, Rear Fastening, Improved Athletic Shoe) constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view illustrating an improved running shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an adjustable connector member of the improved running shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view illustrating another view the improved running shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an improved running shoe in an in-use condition according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 1.

The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to a footwear device and more specifically relates to an improved running shoe (also referred to herein and entitled Rear Entering, Rear Fastening, Improved Athletic Shoe) in which the laces, rather than lacing over the tongue of the shoe, are laced and tied in the rear, over the heel structured and arranged to thereby provide a snug-fit upon a wearer's foot

Generally speaking, the Running Shoes-Shoe Laces, in most respects of design, materials, and construction, would be similar to those of popular brands—with the exception that there would be no tongue, and no laces, on the top of the shoe. Instead, the Running Shoes-Shoe Laces would feature a split heel, either side of which is equipped with top-to-bottom lacing eyelets, the laces for which are tied at the top of the heel. The athlete will simply slide his or her foot into the shoe from behind, then tighten the heel laces to achieve the desire heel contour and tension between shoe and foot and tie the laces in the traditional manner. A dial and cable design for securing laces could also be made available. As noted by the inventors, the absence of top-lacing will eliminate the downward and rearward pressure on the feet that such laces produce; and eliminate the “wiggle room” at the toes—ensuring a comfortable, snug fit, and ensuring that as the runner's feet flex, the shoe will flex as well, due to its innovative fit and design. Put most simply, the runner's feet will not move around in the Running Shoes-Shoe Laces, because the shoes will move in perfect concert with—not in opposition to—the runner's feet.

The Running Shoes-Shoe Laces would offer physically-active consumers a unique and innovative athletic shoe that will enable them to feel—apart from the support, traction, and comfort they desire, and which the Running Shoes-Shoe Laces would provide—as if they were wearing no shoes at all. The manufacturers of traditional athletic shoes—no matter the amount of support and innovation they put into them—have always worked with a basic premise, or with a basic tenet: and that is that like regular shoes, athletic shoes would have a tongue and top lacing. Traditional designs do not enhance athletic performance but instead impedes it; and their rear-entry, heel-lacing Running Shoes-Shoe Laces has been conceived to correct the deficiencies in the traditional design. Whether produced as a new product line of running and athletic shoes or purchased as a concept by an existing manufacturer of premium athletic footwear, the Running Shoes-Shoelaces would be unique and innovative, thus appealing to millions of physically-active consumers, both within the United States and around the world.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, showing perspective views illustrating improved running shoe 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 1

Improved running shoe 100 comprising: upper portion 110; outsole 120; insole 130; midsole 140; toe cap 150; and heel portion 160 including edge portions 170 defining vertically extending opening 180. Wherein upper portion 110 is formed from a contiguous, one-piece member. Wherein midsole 140 is located in between outsole 120 and insole 130 and is connected to upper portion 110. Wherein toe cap 150 is attached to edge 112 of upper portion 110 and distal end 122 of outsole 120. Wherein edge portions 170 include plurality of eyelets 172 therein adapted to allow show lace 174 to be threaded therethrough and used to adjust the width of improved running shoe 100.

Improved running shoe further comprising shoe lace 174, wherein shoe lace 174 is adapted to be threaded through plurality of eyelets 172 and used to allow wearer 450 to adjust the width of improved running shoe 100 as shown in in-use condition 400 of FIG. 4. Wherein plurality of eyelets 172 are formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of metal, plastic, and ceramic. Wherein shoe lace 174 is formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of cotton, plastic, and nylon.

Wherein edge portions 170 are adapted to retain adjustable connector member 200 therebetween. Wherein adjustable connector member 200 includes cable member 210 adapted to be connected between edge portions 170 of heel portion 160; and dial member 220 connected cable member 210 and adapted to adjust the tension of cable member 210 between edge portions 170, to thereby allow wearer 450 to adjust the width of improved running shoe 100 as shown in FIG. 2. Wherein cable member 210 is formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of metal, plastic, and nylon.

Wherein adjustable connector member 200 further includes panel member 230 adapted to rotatably attach with dial member 220 and adapted to selectively hold dial member 220 in a plurality of positions correlating to various widths of improved running shoe 100. Wherein panel member 230 includes at least one cable channel member 234 attached thereto and adapted to slidably receive portions of cable member 210 therein and therethrough, to thereby direct cable member 210 in desired directions. Wherein there are at least two cable channel members 234 spaced from one another upon panel member 230.

Wherein heel portion 160 is attached to a proximal end of outsole 220. Wherein improved running shoe 100 is adapted to allow wearer 450 to place their foot inside improved running shoe 100 and adjust the width thereof via adjustable connector member 200, to thereby provide a snug-fit upon the foot of wearer 450. Wherein heel portion 160 is formed from a semi-rigid and semi-flexible material 164. Wherein semi-rigid and semi-flexible material 164 includes materials chosen from a list of materials consisting of rubber, plastic, and nylon. Wherein semi-rigid and semi-flexible material includes materials formed as gel material 250 as shown in FIG. 2. Wherein semi-rigid and semi-flexible material 164 includes materials formed as foam material 166 as shown in FIG. 1.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. 

What is claimed is:
 1. In improved running shoe comprising: an upper portion; wherein said upper portion is formed from a contiguous, one-piece member; an outsole; an insole; a midsole; wherein said midsole is located in between said outsole and said insole and is connected to said upper portion; a toe cap; wherein said toe cap is attached to an edge of said upper portion and a distal end of said outsole; a heel portion including: edge portions defining a vertically extending opening; wherein said edge portions are adapted to retain an adjustable connector member therebetween; wherein said heel portion is attached to a proximal end of said outsole; wherein said improved running shoe is adapted to allow a wearer to place their foot inside said improved running shoe and adjust the width thereof via said adjustable connector member, to thereby provide a snug-fit upon said wearer's foot.
 2. The improved running shoe of claim 1, wherein said edge portions include a plurality of eyelets therein adapted to allow a show lace to be threaded therethrough and used to adjust the width of said improved running shoe.
 3. The improved running shoe of claim 2, further comprising a shoe lace, wherein said shoe lace is adapted to be threaded through said plurality of eyelets and used to allow said wearer to adjust the width of said improved running shoe.
 4. The improved running shoe of claim 2, wherein said adjustable connector member includes a cable member adapted to be connected between said edge portions of said heel portion; and a dial member connected to said cable member and adapted to adjust the tension of said cable member between said edge portions, to thereby allow said wearer to adjust the width of said improved running shoe.
 5. The improved running shoe of claim 1, wherein said heel portion is formed from a semi-rigid and semi-flexible material.
 6. The improved running shoe of claim 5, wherein said semi-rigid and semi-flexible material includes materials chosen from a list of materials consisting of rubber, plastic, and nylon.
 7. The improved running shoe of claim 5, wherein said semi-rigid and semi-flexible material includes materials formed as a gel material.
 8. The improved running shoe of claim 5, wherein said semi-rigid and semi-flexible material includes materials formed as a foam material.
 9. The improved running shoe of claim 3, wherein said shoe lace is formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of cotton, plastic, and nylon.
 10. The improved running shoe of claim 4, wherein said cable member is formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of metal, plastic, and nylon.
 11. The improved running shoe of claim 4, wherein said adjustable connector member further includes a panel member adapted to rotatably attach with said dial member and adapted to selectively hold said dial member in a plurality of positions correlating to various widths of said improved running shoe.
 12. The improved running shoe of claim 11, wherein said panel member includes at least one cable channel member attached thereto and adapted to slidably receive portions of said cable member therein and therethrough, to thereby direct said cable member in desired directions.
 13. The improved running shoe of claim 12, wherein there are at least two cable channel members spaced from one another upon said panel member.
 14. The improved running shoe of claim 2, wherein said plurality of eyelets are formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of metal, plastic, and ceramic. 